<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Blue to Black by getonmywave</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26845516">Blue to Black</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/getonmywave/pseuds/getonmywave'>getonmywave</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Red to Blue to Black to Gold [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Torture, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Violence, Whipping</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:28:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26845516</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/getonmywave/pseuds/getonmywave</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of his captivity, Loki has nightmares, but he has a new safe place.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Loki/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Red to Blue to Black to Gold [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Blue to Black</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You should probably read the first one, but long story short, Loki had spent some time imprisoned/enslaved by Hela in Asgard.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The lash fell and pain became Loki’s entire existence. Hela’s guard whipped him relentlessly, unmoved by the agony, the way that he whimpered between screams. Helpless, Loki fought his way out of the nightmare’s grasp. </p><p>He shot up in bed, letting out a moan.</p><p>“Mr. Stark has been alerted to your distress, sir.”</p><p>Loki blinked, not understanding until he remembered that Stark had some sort of artificial intelligence manning the tower. After Hela had sacked Asgard and made Loki her personal slave, the realm had been too much for Loki to handle. Thor, his beloved brother and now the king of Asgard, had suggested he stay with Tony.</p><p>“You two seem to have really connected,” Thor had said quietly. “I also think it’d give you some healthy distance from everything that hurt you. You are always welcome back, but it might prove a rest… a vacation, so to speak.”</p><p>At least he hadn’t said that Loki was weak. Loki sure felt weak.</p><p>He and Tony had something and he wasn’t sure what it was. They had quietly and casually danced around it in the last few weeks, and it was honestly comforting, in spite of how nervous it made him.</p><p>Someone, presumably Tony, knocked on the door.</p><p>“Go ahead and come in,” Loki said with a sigh. He did not want to talk about the nightmare he’d had, but Tony’s presence was soothing. </p><p>Tony was still dressed, even though Loki was certain it was late. He wore faded black jeans and a tank top splattered with oil. He was handsome, always strikingly handsome, even when he looked a mess in the dead of night. </p><p>“Loki?” Tony asked, his voice soft.</p><p>The growing relationship between them felt strange, but Loki enjoyed the moments when Tony got close. He simply assessed Loki with a quick once over and then sat beside him in the bed. Loki would have complained about the dirty clothes if it was his own bed, but alas, Tony did own everything in the building.</p><p>“Nightmare?” </p><p>Loki paused at the question and then nodded. There was no hiding anything from Tony anyway - he was learning that rather quickly. </p><p>“I’m fine…” Loki had always hated to be a fuss to anyone. “It was just a memory, absolutely harmless.”</p><p>Tony’s hand on his shoulder was warm, comforting, and Loki forgot all about how dirty he was. “Memories aren’t always harmless,” he said honestly. “I don’t want to force you to do anything, but if you’re up for talking about it, then I’m here for that. Or I can just hang out here.”</p><p>Loki didn’t intend to tell Tony about the dream, but in a moment the words just found there way out. He told Tony about the fall of the whip, the helplessness and pain. He didn’t look the man in the eye the entire time, instead focusing on the bedcoverings bunched up at the foot of the bed.</p><p>Tony didn’t speak for a little while, but his presence was felt. He squeezed Loki’s shoulder and just held him, quiet, comfortable. </p><p>His first words after a long period of silence were: “You’re safe now.”</p><p>Loki nodded in reply. He knew, for a fact, that he was safe. Honestly, it had been decades since he felt so safe, so secure and confident in himself. Tony had created a feeling of security, of belonging in him. </p><p>“I usually heal quickly and rarely scar,” he confessed to Tony, slipping up his shirt so that his lower back was revealed. The lash wounds had scarred over into thin pink lines that stood out on pale flesh. Loki let his guard down for a moment and the color changed from pale pink to a muted blue. “These don’t seem to leave me. Fitting, isn’t it?”</p><p>Tony nodded and gently laid a hand on Loki’s lower back, lifting the shirt up to see the scarring there. </p><p>“Scars don’t always heal,” he agreed, “but we get stronger. And the color stops being something foreign. It becomes part of us.” </p><p>Loki didn’t know how to survive these scars, but Tony Stark certainly did put color into his world. </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>